Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Happy Canada Day 150th Anniversary, Nanaimo Bars

Because our closest big city is over the border in Canada...Victoria, BC to be precise...this Tuesday Cuppa Tea is celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary!

So I put together a small sunroom tea in honor of the big day on July 1st...

We will probably see the fireworks as usual from Victoria, BC from the end of our block where we look down a bit and over the Strait of Juan De Fuca which divides the US and Canada...

150 years is a wonderful milestone of the commonwealth association with the United Kingdom....

I was amazed, that as close as we are to Canada and as often as we have been there over the years, how little I have with Canada on it...although my husband and I both have fleeces and sweatshirts acquired over the years when a weather change has overtaken us, necessitating the buying of another layer... but I did find a ew things to put in a tea post...so join me for Canadian Breakfast tea in honour of Canada!

I found that I had this Canada Centennial teacup commemorating 1867-1967. It is porcelain, made in china, but at least it commemorates the last significant milestone before this one...

The other teacuop I found is from the 1940s and is a Canadian souvenir teacup with the Canadian cresy on it. It's made by the famous Royal Winton Grimwades of England and is earthenware. Sort of a pale yellow...

And of course...our tea! Canadian Breakfast! The 3 pack of teas was a gift from a Canadian friend, and has Maple Black and a fruity Icewine as well as the Canadian Breakfast. The tins stck, and have great graphics of a Mountie and various Maple leaves. The tea was packed by Metropolitan Tea in Toronto.

As I said, I don't have a lot of Canadian china, although I do have various provincial souvenir dishes, but I found that this lovely 1953 Queen Elizabsth II Coronation plate was made by the Canadian pottery Collingswood, so thought that was appropriate...Canada is part of the Commonwealth, so...

And of course, we need a Canadian themed treat! Around here, that would inevitably be Nanaimo Bars...named for a coastal town on Vancouver Island, upisland...as it is called...from Victoria...where the bar was developed...they are available all over here including on the ferries and in grocery stores...a very popular layered bar. I found a good recipe on Allrecipes.com, so am passing that along...

Nanaimo Bars

Recipe By:MARTHA J PAUL

"Because it's three layers, this sounds hard but it's worth it. My son is famous for making and taking these in to work. I've heard other names but here in the Northwest everyone knows them as Nanaimo bars. They are sold on British Columbia Ferries and at coffee stands. If you can't find custard powder, I've used instant pudding mix with good results."

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup butter, softened

·         1/4 cup white sugar

·         5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1 egg, beaten

·         1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

·         1 cup flaked coconut

·         1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (optional)

·         1/2 cup butter, softened

·         3 tablespoons heavy cream

·         2 tablespoons custard powder like Bird's

·         2 cups confectioners' sugar

·         4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate

·         2 teaspoons butter

Directions

1. In the top of a double boiler, combine 1/2 cup butter, white sugar and cocoa powder. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Beat in the egg, stirring until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and almonds (if you like). Press into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 inch pan.
2. For the middle layer, cream together 1/2 cup butter, heavy cream and custard powder until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over the bottom layer in the pan. Chill to set.
3. While the second layer is chilling, melt the semisweet chocolate and 2 teaspoons butter together in the microwave or over low heat. Spread over the chilled bars. Let the chocolate set before cutting into squares.

Allrecipes.com

Thanks so much for joining me for my Canadian tea! Prince Charles and Camilla will be in Canada for the festivities for 3 days from June 29th...

For more, click the phot for an article on the CBC webpage...

Here are some of the blog parties I am joining...

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

Here is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!

An InLinkz Link-up

Tuesday Cuppa Tea. Shelley Polka Dots and Eccles Cakes

Hello and thanks for joining me for tea! What a busy week! Had a lovely visit with friends, am still beavering away at my website transfer...and it was one of my favorite days yesterday, Saturday June 17th...the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II...her 91st to be exact!  LOVE all of the festivities!

This was from her 90th bithday last year...

And of course, the balcony this year.... and Prince William will be 35 on June 21st....lots of doings....

My Tuesday Cuppa Tea arose from the fact that our guests were Brits who came bearing gifts...but more about that later, as you will see!

After they left, I put together a tea in the sunroom using some of my Shelley Pols Dots china...

The coffeepot I always use as a teapot...the teapot didn't make it home from England in one piece, unfortunately...

the pattern came in several colors, this is the turquoise polka dots colorway, and was made in red, coral, blue, yellow and green that I know of...

The pattern number is 13748 and appeared on Shelley china items throughout 1940-1966 when the pottery closed. The shapes it was used on differed through the years...

Also by Shelley, this is a Fruit center cup and saucer...you might remember it from a teacup stack a few weeks ago.... for us to have tea in...

This is the Boston shape, which is very dimilar to the Lincoln shape...the difference is the notched rim and foot which the Lincold doesn't have...

The pattern is number 14208, and it was made at the end of Shelley's pottery...between 1963 and 1966.

I have a muffin dish in the Polka Dot pattern, which you don't see often...

They are used for serving whatever although originally made to keep muffins and crumpets warm at the tea table...

and now here is another teacup! You can have your pick! 

I love the pattern on this 1960s Regency teacup...it depicts a Cornwall or Devon coastal scene...since I am coastal and also have loved spending time on England southern coast, it is wonderful!

Regency began in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire in 1954 and made it to 1992 before it closed. The pottery has strong admirers and collectors though!

For our tea, we have a wonderful green tea blend from 3 Teas reccomended by Margie from Tea In The Valley who had it at a tea festival and liked it and mentioned it on her blog. She sent me the link so I could purchase it from Canada. Delicious blend of Peppermint, Green and Ginger...

and as it's loose tea, here is a cute chrome Tea House tea infuser

 for a perfect cup!

I thought me table needed a bit of a background, so pulled out a Shelley charger in the Dainty shape with the Old Mill pattern....

I love their landscape designs!

And of course, some vintage needlework linens...a pair of embroidered 1930s doilies...

And finally to our treats...courtesy of our friends! In the muffin dish are Eccles Cakes...which I dearly love! I grew up helping my Nana make them...they are a raisin center surrounded in puff pastry...but don't make them anymore...too long winded for me now, I am afraid!

But our friends brought some frozen ones in an ice chest that they get in Seattle...for a store version, actually imported from Lancashire, they are not bad at all! It had been a year or so since I had had one...delicious!!!

I couldn't find my recipe as I hadn't made them in years, but found one that looks very similar on Epicurious that I will ad now:

YIELD

Yields 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1. • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
   • 1 cup dried currants
   • 2 tablespoons candied mixed fruit peel, chopped
   • 1/2 cup white sugar, plus extra for decoration
   • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
   • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
   • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
   • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
   • 1/2 (17.5-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
   • 1/4 cup whole milk
   • 1 large egg, beaten

PREPARATION

1. 1. 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Thoroughly grease a large baking sheet.
   2. 2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in currants, fruit peel, white sugar, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly until sugar is dissolved and fruit is coated. Remove from heat.
   3. 3. Roll out thawed pastry on a clean, lightly-floured surface until it is 1/4-inch thick. Cut out eight circles, each roughly 5 inches in diameter; set aside remaining pastry dough for use in other recipes. Divide currant mixture evenly between circles, then moisten edges of pastries with a little bit of milk, fold together, and pinch to seal.
   4. 4. Turn pastries upside down onto floured surface and carefully roll out to make a wider and flatter pastry. Be careful not to break the dough.
   5. 5. Brush cakes with beaten egg, then sprinkle with white sugar. Make three parallel cuts across the top of each cake, then place on greased baking sheet.
   6. 6. Bake pastries in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and sprinkle with a little more sugar, then serve.

Times Gone By

English Eccles Cake is named for the town of Eccles in Lancashire, and was a popular pastry in the seventeenth century. However, these cakes were banned—along with mince pies—by the Puritans in 1650. In fact, Oliver Cromwell decreed in an act of Parliament that anyone found eating a currant pie would be imprisoned. Luckily, by the time of the Restoration, the cakes were once again popular.

So thanks for joining me for tea!
This week I'll be joining:

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

Here is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!

An InLinkz Link-up

No Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Flag Day, Father's Day

Hello dear friends...there is no Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky this week...I am still working on a major project...a website move...and just when I had planned a break to do my post, had an unexpected visit from out of state friends on their way to a cruise. We haven't seen them for awhile, so...the tea post went out the window!

But wanted to wish you a Happy Flag Day on June 14th....

And a Hapy Father's Day on June 18th...

and I'll see you next week!

You might like to visit...I will be if I can...:

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, A Green Daisy Sunroom Tea

Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea. I am very sad about what has happened in London...my heart is breaking again....almost didn't post, but had this ready to go, so am doing what the Brits do...carrying on as usual...with a cup of tea...

I had few really sunny days this week, so the photos aren't as bright as usual, but...welcome to my Green Daisy tea...and I am sure you will see what the name came from...

I have enjoyed thinking about the sunny days as our fog rolled in again after 2 warm days...natural air conditioning!

My green daisies are a crem and sugar by Shelley China, England in the green colorway of the Daisie Chintz pattern. The interiors are even a pale green. They set was made between 194 and 1956, and was made for the Canadian market as designated by the A on the base. Love this pattern, but love it more in blue which I will have to share one of these days...

And speaking of Shelley, I have ised a rare Shelley biscuit barrel or cookie jar in the Greek Key and Roses. I love the molded bow in the front...looks like a wrapped parcel! And the fancy handle is fun too!

The pattern is number 10441 and dates to 1910-1916. The Registry Date number dates the pattern to 1896. The Late Foley denotes the use of the name of the area of Stoke-On-Trent and works name, Foley, in the Shelley mark which was dropped in 1925.  You hardly ever see Shelley biscuit jars.

And of course, teacups! This is a hand colored on transfer Salisbury teacup with applied raised enamel accents which I love!

The pattern number is 1738, and the teacup was made in the 1930-1940s.

Or maybe you would prefer your tea in this ironstone teacup in a pattern called Jacqueline from the 1950s. This was made by Enoch Wedgwood, a relation of Josiah Wedgwood, of the better know Wedgwood tradename. The unicorn on the mark here refers to the pottery works where it was made in the Tunstall area of  Stoke...the Unicorn works.

Or maybe you prefer a creamware teacup from Wedgwood itself...an historical reissue from the 1960s called Napolein Ivy that I have shared before. I love the simple Ivy pattern!

I have my old faithful birdhouse on the table, although I have been tempted to put it outside for feathered tenants...but I am not sure it is sturdy enough....

Here is a tea diffuser if you want loose tea rather than a bag... love the shell design! Perfect for here at the coast!

For teabags...I have Murchie's of Canada English Breakfast...pretty well a staple around here...I have the loose too, but just realized I forgot to include it on the table! Rats!

And as you probably know I love old postcards, I found 2 by color to go with the table....

Lastly, to stir with... a set of George VI coronation spoons from 1937.  I love using pretty silver on the table! 

I had intending making scones too...but the news threw me off so I will include tham with my post next week...

Thanks for joining me for tea...I hope to be joining...

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

Here is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!

An InLinkz Link-up